Bruins and 'Canes get Black Friday off to early start

Bruins and 'Canes get Black Friday off to early startCarolina Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins

HURRICANES (9-12-2) at BRUINS (12-6-2)

TV -- FS-Carolina (HD); NESN (HD)

Last 10 -- Carolina 4-4-2; Boston 5-3-2

Season series -- The Eastern Conference rivals are meeting for the first of four times this season -- they don't see each other again until a home-and-home series on Jan. 16-17. Boston won three of the four games last season, including both visits by the 'Canes to TD Garden.

Big story -- The teams better not load up on too many Thanksgiving goodies -- not with a noon ET start. Boston comes home after beating the Panthers 3-1 on Wednesday gave the Bruins a split of their two-game trip to Florida. Carolina comes to TD Garden for the matinee after a disappointing 3-2 home loss to Washington on Wednesday.

Team Scope:

Hurricanes -- The 'Canes spotted Washington a two-goal lead, got goals from Sergei Samsonov and Eric Staal in a 4:01 span of the third period to pull even, but allowed a goal by Brooks Laich with 7:53 remaining to lose their third in a row and fifth in six games.

"I think our compete is pretty darned good," Carolina coach Paul Maurice said. "We're still learning not to do the things that slow us down -- turning pucks over, not putting them at the net -- but at the very least, they showed signs that they can change gears if they have to. It doesn't have to be. If the first 10 minutes are not going your way, that doesn't mean the night's over. They can build some confidence and know that they can come back in games."

Bruins -- Mark Recchi is 42, but he's showing no signs of slowing down. Recchi scored two of Boston's third-period goals in the victory at Florida and became just the 13th player in NHL history to reach 1,500 points in his career. The goals were the 566th and 567th of his career.

"It's pretty nice when it comes on a big win like that," Recchi said. "You get the two goals and it's two important ones and that makes it even more special

Who's hot -- Staal has 4 goals and 9 points in Carolina's last five games. No. 1 pick Jeff Skinner has assists in his last two games and leads all rookies with 6 goals and 17 points. … Boston's Milan Lucic has 4 goals in his last 5 games. Goalie Tim Thomas has allowed just 20 goals in his 14 appearances.

Injury report -- Cam Ward should be back in goal for Carolina. Justin Peters played Wednesday while Ward was with his wife, who gave birth to the couple's first son earlier in the day. Otherwise, the 'Canes are healthy. … Boston center Marc Savard (concussion) is participating in non-contact practice, while forwards Marco Sturm (right knee surgery) and Trent Whitfield (Achilles surgery) are still on IR.

Stat pack -- Staal played his 500th game as a Hurricane on Wednesday, becoming the third-youngest player in franchise history to reach that mark. … Boston has not lost consecutive road games all season, but has won just four times in nine tries at TD Garden, and dropped three in a row before going 2-0-1 in its last three.

Puck drop -- Thomas continues to be one of the big stories of the new season. After winning the Vezina Trophy in 2008-09 and losing his starting job to rookie Tuukka Rask last season, he's regained the No. 1 job and is now 11-1-1 after beating Florida. He leads the NHL with a .958 save percentage and four shutouts, and is second with a 1.46 goals-against average.

"It's just a good situation for me right now," Thomas said. "I'm getting a good effort in front of me and just seeing the puck well and tonight was another example of that. It's just been a good run."